Sun Devils Come up short in comeback bid at GCU

(Photo credit: Sierra Watson/WCSN)

PHOENIX — ASU Softball’s’ trip to West Phoenix proved to be a hurtful one as the Sun Devils dropped their first game of the fall season against the Grand Canyon Lopes.

ASU fell to the Lopes 5-3 in their only road game of the fall season. Despite some elite pitching from the bullpen, a game-altering grand slam in the third inning proved to be all the Lopes needed to get the win.

After freshman right-handed pitcher Cambree Creager’s two scoreless frames, the crowd started to pile in at GCU stadium on a warm Wednesday night. While fans were still getting settled into their seats hoping for another scoreless frame, junior infielder Katie Chester lined a double down the right field line, scoring two Sun Devils to get ASU on the board first.

The smiles and celebrations in the ASU dugout did not remain for long, however. On a 2-1 count with two outs and the bases juiced in the third inning, graduate outfielder Makaiya Gomez launched a ball over the right field wall for a grand slam to spark the home dugout and fans as the Lopes took a 4-2 lead.

Home runs seemed to be contagious Wednesday night. In response to Gomez’s grand slam, freshman outfielder Ashleigh Mejia hit a moonshot to right field off the Lopes’ freshman pitcher Oakley Vickers, electrifying the ASU dugout.

With the jolt of energy, the Sun Devils star of the show, freshman righty Julianne Tipton, took charge to start the bottom of the fourth. Tipton wasted no time getting to work, as she quickly utilized her offspeed pitches, striking out the side.

ASU stranded a runner to end the top of the fifth inning, but Tipton’s dominance continued in the next Lopes’ frame. She struck out two more batters with her offspeed pitches, hushing the crowd and the Lopes’ hitters. They seemingly had no answer for her pitches.

Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, Tipton’s energy did not carry over to the offense. Some risky baserunning while trying to catch the Lopes sleeping resulted in the final out of the top of the sixth inning.

Tipton took charge once more in the sixth frame. Her dominance seemingly came to an end after a ball ricocheted off senior utility player AJ Murphy at shortstop to put a runner on base to begin the inning. GCU junior utility player Emily Gonzalez snuck a ball into left field to bring her teammates home and make it a 5-3 game. Tipton stranded a pair of runners after a fielder’s choice at third base, which was followed by a double play, preventing the Lopes from breaking the game open.

GCU sent senior pitcher Meghan Golden to the mound to close out the game, but a two-out single by junior outfielder Tanya Windle forced Golden to earn her save on the mound. With sophomore catcher Samantha Swan up to bat, the fans were on their feet. Swan drilled a ball near the left-field foul line. Junior outfielder Sydney McCray sprinted to her fullest extent toward the ball. As the ball neared the turf McCray extended outward and dove forward, snatching it out of the air the moment before it hit the ground, saving the day for the Lopes and concluding the game.

The Sun Devils dropped to 1-1 in the fall season. Their next matchup will be against the UTEP Miners on Oct. 6.